Streams

Underreported: Ocean Garbage Patch

Major news events throughout the world continue to be largely ignored until they reach tragic proportions. Underreported, a weekly feature on The Leonard Lopate Show, tackles these issues and gives an in-depth look into stories that are often relegated to the back pages.

In the Central North Pacific, plastic outweighs surface zooplankton 6 to 1. Find out why the problem of garbage and plastic floating around in our oceans could be one of the most pressing environmental disasters we face now. Dr. Marcus Eriksen of the Algalita Marine Research Foundation sailed from California to Hawaii this past summer on a raft, JUNK, made out of 15,000 plastic bottles.

Comments [14]

You can't see the patch on Google Earth because the particles are too small.

I've found, as a recent parent, a phenomenal amount of plastic used in the raising of our kids. To address this, I've created an educational comic book that tells an imaginative story and also provides factual information for our younger audience (grades 5-7 ideally). If you're interested you can find it atwww.pavedplanet.com

Dr Eriksen made the specious comment that "plastics are designed to last forever".My experience as a consulting chemical engineer who spent over 50 years in the plastics industry trying to extend the useful life of particular plastics,is to the contrary. I would like to offer the fact that most plastics are prone to degration from sunlight and exposure to the elements at sea.Most "disposible" plastic items are made of polyethylene, (found in grocery bags). These items can be manufactured to degrade into a powder within a few months, if carelessly disposed of.

Leonard's final question was baited. I've known of this patch for some time now. To create awareness is all fine and good, though i'd like to here a real answer, as in a clean up plan. I myself have been on both sides of the plastic industry, working at a heinz catchup bottle factory for a summer, along with a recycling plant as well. As far as i see it there must be a way to clean our culture as well as the resulting factor. Could we build a rig similar to oils great giants at the root of the problem. I'm all for cultural change but come on people a message in the bottle sounds like junk to me.

I aplaud you for bringing light to this undereported catastrophy. I hope you'll let your listeners know that if they wish to take local action against the great problem of plastics in our ocean that they should consult our web site. I represent the NYC-Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation, an environmental group dedicated to the protection of the world's oceans, beaches, and waves." Our chapter has been and is currently working on plastic issues and New Yorkers who are interested in helping should visit our web-site at www.surfrider.org/nyc . There they will find Surfrider's "Rise Above Plastics Pledge," and information on how they can support our effort to promote passage of NYS Bigger Better Bottle Bill, a key peice of anti-plastic, pro-recycling legislation that we have been working on for years and that is on the cusp of passing in this February's legislative sesion.Regards,Chris WadeChair, NYC-Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation

Fantastic you are covering this. The "patch" is not solid, it is just an area where the plastics are more concentrated. More info at the blog and website www.riseaboveplastics.org www.blogspot.riseaboveplastics.com

Show Archive

Feeds

WNYC 93.9 FM and AM 820 are New York's flagship public radio
stations, broadcasting the finest programs from NPR, PRI and American Public Media, as well as a wide range of award-winning local
programming. WNYC is a division of
New York Public Radio.